LITERATURE – FICTION

Fiction for Children

There is little New Zealand writing for children. In
colonial days, the stories of Jules Verne, G. A. Henty and
others exploiting adventure were intended for younger as well
as older readers; titles such as The Boy Settler and
The Young Adventurers appear in the early lists.
First to be well known as a writer for children was Edith
Howes, a teacher whose stories served the double purpose of
entertainment and instruction. Most are fantasies woven about
a nature theme, botanical or biological. The Cradle
Ship, 1916, had a sentimental popular appeal. In
Maoriland Fairy Tales, 1913, she pioneered the use
for children of traditional Maori lore. Not until A. H.
Reed's Myths and Legends of Maoriland, 1947, were
young readers again adequately served in this field. Another
popular writer, Isabel Maud Peacocke, set some of her many
stories in this country.

In the 1920s, Esther Glen, a journalist working for the
Australian and New Zealand market, did much to encourage the
writing of fiction for children; among her stories are
Six Little New Zealanders, 1917, Uncles Three at
Kamahi, 1926, and Robin of Maoriland, 1929. Her
name has been remembered in the Esther Glen Award, given by
the New Zealand Library Association for the most
distinguished contribution to New Zealand literature for
children published in New Zealand. That the award has been
made only four times since its founding in 1945 indicates the
weakness of this section of our writing. Winners are Stella
Morice, The Book of Wiremu, 1945, a delightful
portrayal of a small Maori boy; A. H. Reed's Myths,
already mentioned; Joan Smith's The Adventures of Nimble,
Rumble and Tumble, 1950, a picture book; Maurice Duggan,
Falter Tom and the Water Boy, 1960. This last, a
notable little book, was, like much of the good work in the
field today, originally commissioned by the Department of
Education, which has a fine record in fostering local talent.
The School Journal and the various special school
bulletins consistently print high-quality work; writers
include James Baxter, Roderick Finlayson, Barry Mitcalfe,
Brian Sutton-Smith, and Alistair Campbell. Campbell's The
Happy Summer, 1961, is one of several stories which deal
with Maori themes. Others include The Hole in the
Hill, by Ruth Park, 1961; The Boys of Puhawai,
1960, by “Kim”; and Kuma is a Maori Girl, by Pat
Lawson, 1961. Roderick Finlayson has written much for the
School Journal, but so far has not published these
stories outside the educational market. The Polynesian
voyages are the subject of Rangatira, 1959, by N. B.
Tindale and H. A. Lindsay. Ronald Syme's historical novels
include two with New Zealand backgrounds, Gipsy
Michael, 1954, set in the period of the Maori Wars, and
The Spaniards Came at Dawn, 1959, a
seventeenth-century tale of excitement.

Life on a North Island sheep station is described well in
Joyce West's Drover's Road, 1954; in The White
Deer, 1961, John Tempest pictures country life in the
South Island.

More routine stories introducing obvious local colour
include Sally Becomes a New Zealander, 1960, by N.
D. Thompson, and Gold at Kapai, 1960, by Phyllis
Wardell.

Stories in Maori

Mention should be made also of the stories written in
Maori for the Department of Education's School Bulletins.
These, together with similar stories published in the
Department of Maori Affairs' periodical, Te Ao Hou,
may be the beginning of a revival of creative writing in
Maori.

Browse the 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand

How to cite this page: . 'Fiction for Children', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966.Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 23-Apr-09URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/1966/literature-fiction/page-9